The Barroso Commission is the European Commission that has been in office since 22 November 2004 and is due to serve until 31 October, 2009. It consists of its president, José Manuel Durão Barroso, and 24 other commissioners.

Originally set to take office on 1 November, 2004, strong opposition by the European Parliament towards the first proposed composition of the Barroso Commission, forced Barroso to withdraw his proposed commission without submitting it to a vote of approval at the set date. The Barroso Commission finally approved by the parliament was submitted by Barroso, as President-designate, to the European Parliament for endorsement on 18 November, and approved by 449 votes in favour, 149 against and 82 abstentions.

Membership

First proposed composition

The first announced list of portfolio holders was announced by President-designate Barroso on 12 August, but failed to be approved by the European Parliament. The difference between the first proposed composition and the final one were the following:

• Rocco Buttiglione (of Italy) was proposed as Vice-President, and Commissioner for Justice, Freedom and Security, instead of Franco Frattini
• Ingrida Udre (of Latvia) was proposed as a commissioner instead of Andris Piebalgs; she was to be responsible for Taxation and Customs Union, which in the final composition became the portfolio of László Kovács.
• László Kovács (of hungary) was proposed as Commissioner for Energy.

Hearings before the committees of the European Parliament questioned the suitability of several of the candidates; a dispute broke out over Rocco Buttiglione's reported views on homosexuality and women, and the committees also found fault with

• László Kovács, for insufficient professional competence in the energy field
• Neelie Kroes, for insufficient detailed grasp of certain specific subjects
• Mariann Fischer-Boel, for insufficient determination to defend European farmer's interests, and an unwillingness to enter into a dialogue with the parliament
• Ingrida Udre, over allegations of irregularities in the funding of her political party

The most controversial proposed commissioner was Buttiglione. Though he had the support of the European People's Party (the largest of the European Parliament party groups), the Socialists and the Liberals refused to vote for a commission that retained Buttiglione with the justice portfolio.

With rejection by the European Parliament seeming likely, on 27 October 2004, Barroso withdrew his proposal for the new commission. Later Italy's government announced its withdrawal of Buttiglione as designate commissioner, nominating Franco Frattini in his place. At Barroso's request, Latvia's government likewise withdrew Ingrida Udre, nominating Andris Piebalgs in her place. Andris Piebalgs had previously served as chef de cabinet to Sandra Kalniete, Latvia's member of the Prodi Commission. Lastly Hungarian Laszlo Kovacs was moved to the taxation and customs position.

Barrot scandal

Barroso's Commission faced another scandal when, shortly before the Commission entered office, it was revealed by United Kingdom Independence Party MEP Nigel Farage that Jacques Barrot, the commissioner from France, had been convicted of fraud in 2000. After this, Barrot had received a presidential amnesty from Jacques Chirac, making it illegal in France to even mention his conviction. Members of the Socialist and Liberal groups in the European Parliament urged Barroso to suspend Barrot from the Commission for failing to disclose his conviction during the confirmation period. Barrot has been a commissioner since January 2000, having served as Commissioner for Regional Policy under Romano Prodi.

See also

• Delors Commission
• Santer Commission
• Prodi Commission

External Links

• Members of the Barosso Commission